Boy Left Tied Up in Sweltering Car

(WVLT) - A couple is facing charges of cruelty to a child after police rescued a young boy from a hot car and officers say the boy was tied up.

An employee at a restaurant in a Chattanooga suburb called police after seeing a man take a six year-old boy outside and return without him to finish his meal with the boys' mother.

Police found the boy sitting in the car, crying.

They say he was soaked with sweat and had a rope tied to one of his ankles.

Officers believe he'd been in there for about a half hour.

"Most of the time it's accidental, mom accidentally locks the doors and the keys are inside and we have to assist in getting the vehicle open, "said Sgt. John Gross with the Ringgold Police Department. "I've never seen a child left in a vehicle, especially tied up with rope while they were sitting inside finishing their meal."

Police also found a gun in the car.

Raymond Minchew, and the boy's mother, Rachel Gilchrist, both of Atlanta, are charged with cruelty to children and concealing a weapon.

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There seem to be more and more news articles about parental abuse of children. I'm sure there were all sorts of mitigating circumstances, presumably misbehavior, to justify this action from the parents viewpoint. If they don't know how, or are unwilling to manage misbehavior any other way, parental rights should be denied.We need laws at the Federal level to incarcerate these people. No second chances.

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